Ignition system for rotary oscillating-cylinder engines.



H. BRAUNTON. I IGNITION SYSTEM FOR ROTA'RY, OSGILLATING CYLINDERENGINES. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 24, 1913. 1 071 602 Patented Aug. 26,1913 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES: v INVENTOR EaraZcZZrawzia/z Patented Aug. 26, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

1N VEN TOR [faraZcZZrazzrzian ATTORNEY i a citizen of the United Will beleast exposed to the fouling action.

' ing drawings, in which- "general a revolving cylinder engine of thetwo-cycle type, inwhich the: cylinders-are,

,in an annular casing tinrrnn .STATESPAENT uric. v

HAROLD rnAuu'rou, other rnanciseo, ciimromvia Specification of LettersPatent.

IGNITION sys'rnia roe ROTARY oscI LAmiIG-cYLInnEaEmeritus;

Patented Aug. 26,1913.

Application med February 24,1913. Serial No. 750,209.

Be it known that I',-,

States, resid ng in the city and county of, San Francisco and ;'State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful Improvements 1n IgnitionSystems for Rotary Oscillating-Cylinder- Engines, of

which the following iS a specification This invention relates toanignition system for rotary, oscillating vide an ignition mechanismparticularly named type of revolving cylinder engine's. Another'objectof the invention is to so construct the spark gap portion ofthemechanism that it, may be'mounted in-the where the spark of suchmaterials as carbon and lubricating oils, which generally collect in theouter ends of the cylinders, being constantly forced'outward bythecentrifugal action.

The invention consists of the parts andthe construction and combinationof parts as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, havingreference to the accompany away. Fig. 3 is a section on line m-m,

Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, A indicates in pivotally mounted by trunnionmembers 2 3, suitably journaled on a stationary crank-shaft 4c. Thestationary crank-shaft tis secured a nut 6 to a supporting frame 7 Thepistons in this engine'are here'shown as secured upon the outer ends ofa series of .hollow piston rods .8 which project throughstufiing-boXes-9,'formed in the lower cylinder heads, and are connectedat' their lower .endsto a master connecting bearing 10. The ends of thepiston rods are formed. with right angular bearing extensions, as lIldP'cated at 11, for-this purpose.

v suitable mannerfor, HAnoLn BRAUNTON,

This mechanism forms a .cylinder engines: a The object of this inventionis to pro-j ,wiper or brush 17 being around the common center 0 shaftand will in its 23 is provided turn are so positioned with. a series ofheads 25 formed on the end of a series of electrodes 26. The electrodesas here shown, gas may hollow. trunnion members where it is ignited thepoint of high compression by an ignition mechanism generally indicatedat B.

the application.

Electriccurrens for theoperation of 'the here shown maybe generignitionsystem ated by a magneto positivelyfdriven inconnection with the engine;the primary circuit of this .m'agneto being broken by the magnetocircuitbreaker as many times each revolution as there are. cylinders to befired.

be'admitted to. the .cylinders through the I the subject-matterfof- I iOne secondary terminal of the magnetojs. 4

rounded onthe engine nected with a secondary brush or wiper 117, securedto the inner face of 'a suitableinsulation indicated at 18.- 1Thesecured to the revolving casing 3 will conseiue'ntly turn .thecrankrevolution contact with stationary, continuous commutator ring '19suitably mounted'in a stationary, circular insulating disk 20, securedon the crank 4, 5 y

The stationary commutator .ring' 19 'is a second annular,

connected, as indicated at 21, Witha sta-'- tionary brush 22, which inturn contacts with an insulated commutator ring 23 senecting bearing-10.The commutator ring bers 24, one for each cylinder, which in aS/to forma contact 26' 'are'in .turn mounted in a suitable insulating material,indicated at 27 forming a filler between the" lectrodes and the 'wallswith a series of contact mem-' frame as indicated:v at 12, theother-secondary circuit being con- A therevolving [casing 3-, and isalso insulated from same by cured on the outer facevof the master con- Hof the hollow piston rods 8. The insulating material, together issecured by nuts 2$ screwed into the headsof the pistons." The nuts 28may also'be' to the cylinders in any p-rovided'with the secondaryterminals 29 with the electrodes 26,.

so. The continuous commutator. ring 15 is con- I I plo'yed in connectionin the-head of the piston will naturally be 'inders through the hollowtrunnion tionary. brush 22 which completes I the contact segments 24 andth forming, the opposite electrodes of the spark gap; the electrodes 29forming the ground or return circuit through the en- 01118.

b In operation, gas is admitted to the cylmemhere 2 and is ignited atthe point of high compression by the electric current jumping the sparkgap formed between the terminals of the electrodes 28 and 29, eachcylinder being fired as it comes into firing position.- This positiononly occurs whena cylinder with corresponding segment 24' registers withthe stationary brush 22 which allows the current from the magnetoto passthrough the stationary brush 13, ,annular ring 15, revolving brush 17stationary ring 19, stationary brush 22, andqsegment 25', which in turnis connected with one of-the electrodes 26. The current thentraversesthe spark gap between the electrodes 26 and 29 which completes thecircuit. Thus each cylinder will be fired as its corresponding segment24 comes into register with the stathe circuit through theelectrodes. I

The sparking mechanism generally em-' with revolving cylinder engineshas always been subjected to the fouling action of such materials'ascarbon and lubricatmg oils, which generally collect in the outer ends ofthe cylinders, being constantly forced outward-by the centrifugalactiorn' Any excessive collections is thus very liable to foul thesparking mechanism generally employed, as it is neces sary to maintainthe spark plugor similar mechanism somewhere within the range of thecompression space. The ignition mecha nism constructed and applied'ashere shown further removed from contactwith any collected material thanis possible with plugs generally employed,

or similar, mechanism v and it. will, therefore, be more reliable andless apt to short circuit or foul by not. being as likely to come intocontact with anycol- The outer ends of. providedwith re plugs 30 throughwhich,

the cylinders may also be movable caps or electrodes w By referring toFig. 2 it will be seen that I e commutator ring 23 are elongated. [Thiselongation of the contact members 24 is provided for-the purpose ofpermitting the spark to be advanced or retarded, this being accomplishedin any suitable manner as, for instance, by

advancing orretardi'ng the circuit breaker on the magneto.

in form, proportions I wish it understood that Various changes and minordetails of" construction may be resorted to within the scope of theappended claims and that I do combination of a piston with the trodesmounted in not wish to limit myselfto the specific design andconstruction here shown.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire" cut is-- 1.In an internal. combustion engine, the cylinder, a, piston in saidpiston rod connecting the crankshaft, an electrode secured in said rodprojecting through the upper face of the piston and insulated from therod and piston, a secondary electrode grounded on the piston, and meansfor closing an electric circuit through said electrodes.

2. In a rotary, oscillating cylinder combustion engine, the" combinationof a plurality'of cylinders, pistons withinsaid' cylinders, astationary'crank-shaft, a master connecting bearing mounted on saidshaft, hollow piston rods connecting the pistons with the masterconnecting bearing, an insulating-material within said rods,' electrodesmounted in said insulating material, secondary electrodes grounded onthe pistons, an through said electrodes.-

3. In a rotary, oscillating cylinder combustion engine the combinationof a plurality of cylin ers, pistons within said cylinders, a stationarycrank-shaft, a master connecting bearing mountedon said shaft, hollowpiston rods connecting "the pistons with the master connecting bearing,an incylinder, a hollow sulating. material within said rods, elecin saidinsulating material projecting through the ends of the rods, Y secondaryelectrodes-grounded on the pistrodes mounted tons and'positioned so asto forma spark gap: between the electrodes, and I means mounted withrelation to the lower ends of piston rods for closing a circuit throughthe "lower terminals-ofvthe insulated electrodes.

means for closing an electric circuit to secure by Letters Pat- I i ice4. In a rotary, oscillating cylinder com bustion engine, the combinationof a plurality of cylinders, pistons within said cyl-' inders, astationary crank-shaft, a master connecting bearin mounted on saidshaft, hollow pistons connecting the pistons with the master connectingbearing, an insulating material within saidrods, elecpro ecting throughthe ends of the rods, secondary electrodes grounded on the pistons andpositioned'so as to form a spark gap between the electrodes, acommutatorring secured on one side of the master connecting bearing, in said ringone for each cylinder, means connecting the lower terminals of theinsulated electrodes with the contact members, and'means for closingacircuit through said contact members.

5. In a .rotary,

bustion engine, the combination of a plua series of contact members saidinsulating material oscillating cylinder comrality of cylinders, pistonswithin said cylinders, a stationary crank-shaft, a master connectingbearing mounted on said shaft,

hollow piston rods connecting the pistons with the master connectingbearin an insulating material .within said. re s, electrodes mounted. insaid insulating material -projecting through the ends of the rods,

- secondary electrodes grounded on the pistonsv and positioned so as toform a' spark one: side of the master conin said ring one for eachcylinder, means connecting the lower terminalsofthe insu- 15latedelectrodes with the contact members,

a brush mounted on thestationary crankshaft and insulated from the shaftadapted to contact with each contact member insuccession, and means forclosing a circuit 20 through the brush.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence oftwosubscribing witnesses.

HAROLD BRAUNTON; Witnesses; v

JOHN'H. HERRING, W. W. H'EALEY.

